Improvement in commercial account-indicator



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Letters Patent No. 91,905, dated June 29, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN' COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT-INDICATOR.

The Schedule referred` to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame,

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER Bnunscnwr-LER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a'ne'wand improved Stock and Balance-Indicator; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionv thereot', whichwill enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' thisspecification.

This invention relates to a new andimproved method of showing orindicating the state ot' the account of those dealing in gold andstocks, with brokers and bankers, and for all operations of a similarnature 5, and

It consists in an apparatus composed of a skeleton tablet and changeableblock?, containing names, words, letters, and tigures, whereby a quick,reliable, and legible exhibit is made by the book-keeper as often as maybe required.

Inthe accompanying plate of drawings- Figure 1 is a face view ot' theindicator. Y

Figure 2 is a cross-section, through the line :c x of Iig.'1. l

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding partsa,

.Practical accountants, cashiers, and tellers of banking-houses,stock-operators, mercantile houses, and factories, have dailyexperienced the necessity of some new and practicaldevice by which debitor credit balances, and the number of shares of stock (either short oron hand,) can be readily and concisely ascertained, without resorting toledgers, balance-books, or other hooks of entry, besides the respectiveindexes thereto.

These operations, when performed by the most skilful accountants, alwaysoccasion too much loss of time and labor, especially in banking andstock-operations, where balances should be so arranged as to be seen ata glance. Successful operations in gold, stocks, and other speculatingpropeity, frequently depend on a single moment ottime, especially in anera ot' violent fluctuations.

In carrying out my invention, I provide small blocks, together with asystematic arrangement of printed numbers, names, and vwords thereon,which are made to tit into grooves in a skeleton tablet, so as to bereadily changed, according as the respective accounts change.

A represents the tablet or indicator, which is'made or" wood or othersuitable material, and of any desired size.

B represents the grooves in which the removable blocks C are placed, asseen in the drawing.

D represents partitions, by which the grooves are divided into spacesfor designating the name of the tirm, the ditlei-ent kinds of stock orproperty operated in, and the balance at the right hand, which shows thecondition ot' the account.

, The blocks which indicate the name of the iii-m and also .the balance,are made with grooves, to receive slips of paper. containingthe name andigures, as seen distinctly at e, tig. 2. f

Instead of grooved blocks for receiving slips of pa- Y per, with printediigures indicating the balalrices, type may7 be used, or a block foreach letter, should it be desired to do so, and also for the otherfigures and letters in the indicator; but generally, it will be foundmore convenient to have the name of the firm, and the diierent kinds ofstock or property, printed on slips ot paper or on blocks, asrepresented.

It will be seen that the Bank of New York is dealing in gold, inGovernment tive-twenty bonds, and in Erie, Rock Island, andReadingrailroad stocks.

It will be noticed that lthe amount of gold is 10 M, or ten thousanddollars; the five-twenties, nine thousand dollars; Erie, live hundredshares; Rock Island, one' hundred shares; and -Reading, three hundredshares.

The red figures indicate that the Bank of NewYorkl p is short in gold,tive-twenties, Erie, and Reading, and has one hundred shares of RockIsland on hand.

The separate value-sof each are estimated, and the,

count with tlie Bank ot' New York on any morning,

the blocks and figures having been correctly arranged by thebook-keeper. Any changes which occur during the day, in stock or othertransactions, may be duly noted by corresponding changes in the blocksor tigures, s'othat the exact state of the account may be seen at once.Y

The indicator may be covered with glass, and kept in a drawer under lockand key, if desired.

In this example of my invention, I have shown a space beneath theindicator-face, for keeping a variety of blocks or letters, ready foruse in making changes in the various accounts.

Having thus described my invention,

,I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Theindicating-trame or tablet A, provided'with receiving-grooves B, andwith appropriate columns for the naines of mercantile firms orcorrespon-dents, for the several kinds ot' property or rallies involved,and for balances, separated by the partitions D, in combination withreplaceable blocks bearing names, words, letters, and iig-ores, to givethe indications or accounts desired, the whole being arranged in themanner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

The above specitication ot' my invention signed by me, this 27th day ofNovember, 1868.,

' GH. BRUNSCHWILER.

Witnesses z FRANK .BLocKLEY, E. Gai-:ssn Comms.

